Five things you should pass down to your children

You can pass on more than just good genes to your kids with these five sentimental suggestions.

You can pass on more than just good genes to your kids with these five sentimental suggestions.

It’s lovely if you can keep a tradition running in the family. It helps keep memories alive and legacies lasting long after family members have gone.

It doesn’t have to be a priceless heirloom (although if you have one of those, great), but just a saying or a special dish will do.

Read on for our top five suggestions….

1. A signature recipe

Do you have a fond memory of your mum or dad teaching you their signature dish in the kitchen? Perhaps there was fun and flour involved as they showed you step by step how to bake a delicious cake; or maybe they winked at you as they sprinkled their secret ingredient into their special spaghetti bolognese.

If you haven’t already, do the same with your child, so they will have not only your recipe, but that lovely memory for a lifetime.

2. Your favourite products

From your mum’s miracle moisturiser to your dad’s choice of tea, you will probably find you use a lot of the same brands as your parents did, and your children will do the same.

Make sure you choose wisely, then. For example, one brand that often gets passed down from parent to parent is Fairy Non-Bio. From newborns to granny and grandpa, its gentle formula keeps the whole family’s skin happy, and their clothes clean and soft.

3. A piece of jewellery

A beautiful piece of jewellery means so much more if it’s been passed down through generations. It also means you have something unique to anyone else.

Perhaps you have an engagement ring that’s been worn throughout numerous (hopefully!) happy marriages, or a precious necklace that was once worn by your great grandma.

Big birthdays – 18, 21 or 30, for example – are great opportunities to pass on a precious item of jewellery. Or the ring, of course, when your child is ready to pop the question to their special someone, thereby giving them the blessing from the whole family.

4. Your parenting skills

Many a time you probably caught yourself saying something to your children and thought: “Gosh (or more likely some sort of expletive), I sound just like my mum!”

Your parents are, of course, the primary role models for how you will parent (or how you choose not to parent, as the case may be). And so it’s important you bear this in mind when you’re parenting, too.

Your son or daughter will probably turn to you for advice when they have children of their own, and it can be a fine line between helping and telling. For tips on this, see the article by our Family & Relationships Editor, Zelda West-Meads, on how to share your wisdom, but listen back.

5. Your best piece of advice

When my mum was feeling sad, her mother always used to sing “Que Sera Sera” to her, and my mum did the same for me as a child. I never got to meet my nan, but this little tradition felt like a bond between the three of us.

So whether it’s a song or a saying, think back to what your mum or dad used to say to lift your spirits and do the same for your child. It’s a lovely way to pass wisdom and love down through the generations.

What nuggets of advice or family heirlooms did your parents pass on to you? Let us know in the comments section below.

Teach your children wisely

I really appreciate this article about the wisdom that we should pass down to our family and children. I believe that you should start teaching your child your wisdom, knowledge, ways of staying positive, self belief and always exceed their potential, from as young as possible.